5 Key Benefits of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

There are extensive benefits to high EQ leadership. Let’s look at what they are. 

1. Self-Awareness Benefits 

Self-aware people view themselves as a work in progress, continually evolving. As a result, they are open to learning ways to improve. Professional development is vital to employees, and recognising areas for improvement is part of career growth. Self-aware leaders know that recruiting people with various skills means everyone can learn from each other, regardless of title. They are also humble enough to realise they can learn something from the team. This makes for a rich and innovative environment.

71% of hiring managers value EQ over IQ when looking for employees.
social.com 

2. Self-Regulation Benefits

The art of self-regulation is a vital skill in relationship management, particularly for leaders and their direct reports. Being an effective leader requires you to keep a clear head under pressure. Taking a moment to consider the impact of your words and actions is incredibly important. It avoids conflict and contributes to effective communication. Self-regulation also helps you navigate change and remain flexible with it. It helps you remain calm and approach situations with a positive attitude and mindset.  

Workers with managers with high EQ scores are four times less likely to quit than those with low EQ.
(LinkedIn) 

3. Motivation Benefits

Motivation enhances concentration, boosting the chances of achieving your goals (even if the outcomes differ from your initial expectations. It helps you navigate the inevitable obstacles on the path to your objectives and boosts your self-esteem. This increases your self-worth. It also inspires those around you, it is infectious and has a ripple effect on the team, just as negative behaviour does. 

Employees with high EQ scores earn an additional $29,000 on average per year than those with lower EQ.
(Workforce.com) 

4. Empathy Benefits

Being empathetic helps you understand others and why they behave in a certain way. Taking the feelings of others into account facilitates close relationships. This increases morale and creates a positive work environment. Consequently, team members feel a sense of psychological safety. The trust that results from this can foster innovative ideas and contribute to a higher-performing team. When leaders are empathetic, their feedback is thoughtful, constructive, and doesn’t make the employee defensive. They feel they are being developed as professionals, contributing to job satisfaction.

Leaders with empathy perform over 40% higher in employee engagement, decision-making, and coaching.
(Harvard Business School) 

5. Social Skills Benefits 

Leaders with strong social skills prioritise others and recognise that supporting their team members leads to collective success and positive results for individuals and the entire organisation. They know how to make others feel comfortable and bring out their best. They can navigate office politics and unite people. They can connect with people at all levels and know how to adjust their message depending on the target audience, meaning their message always resonates with whoever they are speaking to. Social skills make leaders flexible in terms of dealing with a variety of situations. Even when they don’t have a solution, they know how to connect with others to find the answers.

Technical programmers with EQ scores in the top 10 percent can develop software three times faster than their low-EQ colleagues.
(IRMI) 

The benefits of high EQ leadership speak for themselves. If you want to learn more about this topic or wish to speak to one of our team members.

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